152 VOCABULARY FOR TOEFL iBT
N
nadir ('nay·d ̆r) n. the very bottom, the lowest point. When he felt he was at the
nadir of his life, Robert began to practice mediation to elevate his spirits.
narcissism ('narh·si·siz·e ̆m) n. admiration or worship of oneself; excessive inter-
est in one’s own personal features. Some critics say that movie stars are guilty of
narcissism.
nascent ('nas·e ̆nt) adj. coming into existence, emerging. The nascent movement
gathered strength quickly and soon became a nationwide call to action.
nemesis ('nem·e ̆·sis) n. 1. source of harm or ruin, the cause of one’s misery or
downfall; bane. 2. agent of retribution or vengeance. In Frankenstein , the mon-
ster Victor creates becomes his nemesis.
nexus ('nek·su ̆s) n. 1. a means of connection, a link or tie between a series of
things. 2. a connected series or group. 3. the core or center. The nexus between
the lobbyists and the recent policy changes is clear.
noisome ('noi·so ̆m) adj. 1. offensive, foul, especially in odor; putrid. 2. harmful,
noxious. What a noisome odor is coming from that garbage can!
non sequitur (non 'sek·wi·tu ̆r) n. a conclusion that does not logically follow
from the evidence. Marcus’s argument started off strong, but it degenerated into a
series of non sequiturs.
nonchalant (non·sha ̆·'lahnt) adj. indifferent or cool, not showing anxiety or
excitement. Victoria tried to be nonchalant, but I could tell she was nervous.
novel ('nov·e ̆l) n. a genre of literature. adj. strikingly new, original, or different.
The chef’s new idea to add mango to the salad was novel.
noxious ('nok·shu ̆s) adj. unpleasant and harmful, unwholesome. The noxious smell
drove everyone from the room.
nullify ('nul· ̆·f ̄) v. 1. to make null (without legal force), invalidate. 2. to coun-
teract or neutralize the effect of. The opponents wanted to nullify the bill before it
became a law.O
obdurate ('ob·du ̆·rit) adj. stubborn and inflexible; hardhearted, not easily moved
to pity. I doubt he’ll change his mind; he’s the most obdurate person I know.